D&D 3.x Scout 3.5e to 4e conversion help

[Roger]

Just to clarify, that's not an official feat or anything -- it's just something I wrote off the top of my head.

Still, I think it looks pretty plausible.


Cheers,
Roger

 

[Chrynoble]

^nm you answered my question right there.

 

[Spatula]

The character currently is not re-creatable in 4e, at least not exactly. Rangers & rogues stole all the movement powers, fighters have all the big-weapon type stuff. Your best bet is to make a fighter that's as mobile as you can get via feats, and use the initiate + utility multiclass feats to steal something tasty from the ranger or rogue class. Preferably ranger, since sneak attack won't work with a 2H sword.

Movement feats: +2 speed when charging or running, +1 speed in scale armor (default fighter armor, brings you back up to normal speed), +1 speed, +2 AC vs opportunity attacks, maybe some others.

If you can get your DM to waive the "must be wielding 2 weapons" requirement on the ranger melee powers, you'd be in good shape.

 

[Spatula]

Actually, looking at it further, the ranger Hit and Run at-will exploit is basically spring attack, and it doesn't require 2 melee weapons. Unfortunately the only way to get a ranger at-will power is to be a ranger, be a half-elf, or replace your paragon path with ranger multiclassing.

 

[bganon]

There are already some good suggestions, but just thought I'd chime in:

If you go fighter and multiclass into ranger, there is almost always at least -one- melee power each level that doesn't require two weapons. I suspect this is deliberate. So that would be a completely RAW way.

Personally, I'd be fine with saying that the character can use a greatsword as if it were two longswords as long as you use the longsword damage die (unless you take a feat for bastard swords). In other words, mechanically follow the rules, but fudge the flavor. If you wanted to be really strict you'd have to enchant the "greatsword" twice to get a full bonus, but you also get the option of having different properties (flaming, lightning) on different "sides" of the "greatsword". So this could also be a completely RAW way - the only difference is how you describe it.

 

[Chrynoble]

The character currently is not re-creatable in 4e, at least not exactly. Rangers & rogues stole all the movement powers, fighters have all the big-weapon type stuff. Your best bet is to make a fighter that's as mobile as you can get via feats, and use the initiate + utility multiclass feats to steal something tasty from the ranger or rogue class. Preferably ranger, since sneak attack won't work with a 2H sword.

Movement feats: +2 speed when charging or running, +1 speed in scale armor (default fighter armor, brings you back up to normal speed), +1 speed, +2 AC vs opportunity attacks, maybe some others.

If you can get your DM to waive the "must be wielding 2 weapons" requirement on the ranger melee powers, you'd be in good shape.

I know that I won't be able to completely recreate the character, but I would like to see how close I can get. What are the best Tasties from the ranger or rogue class?

Given that hit and run is a basic ranger attack, would I be better off going ranger and just stealing the tasties from fighter? If so which ones?

 

[keterys]

Talk to your DM, basically say 'If I spend a feat as if I were getting superior weapon proficiency (bastard sword), can I then use a greatsword... which has the same stats... and use all the dual wield powers but just with the greatsword instead of two bastard swords? I'd lose out on the +1 AC and damage feats that dual wielders get, so it should be balanced.'

It should pretty much work out.

 

[Spatula]

What race is the character?

There really isn't much point to multiclassing into fighter, that I can see, except to qualify for the paragon paths. The fighter powers you'd be interested in wouldn't be all that different from the ranger powers (power: do damage to stuff in melee).

Looking at the ranger class some more, there are some melee powers that don't require 2 weapons, so you may be able to start with ranger... you just won't have any choices in your power selection.

 

[Chrynoble]

the race is Gnoll.

I think there is a big difference between the fighter and the ranger class. The fighter is focused on high dmg with one swing, or control of the field. A ranger is focused on movement to control only his position on the field, and damage over several attacks.

 

[Kaffis]

the race is Gnoll.

I think there is a big difference between the fighter and the ranger class. The fighter is focused on high dmg with one swing, or control of the field. A ranger is focused on movement to control only his position on the field, and damage over several attacks.

Yes, but I think it's fairly clear that the ranger more closely fits the previous scout concept.

The one-big-swing thing is something that was (if I may presume to guess) derivative of your scout build's reliance on skirmish to maintain a mobile fighting style without sacrificing damage.

The 4e ranger just does the same thing, without limiting you to one attack. Similar damage, similar mobility. Look for exploits such as Hit and Run, Evasive Strike, Weave Through the Fray, Expeditious Stride, and Attacks on the Run. Go to your DM and make the case for mechanically treating your "greatsword" as a bastard sword which you just happen to always use two-handed (it's versatile), and then instead of making strikes with each of two one-handed weapons, making two strikes with one one-handed weapon, wielded versatilely. The +1 you get for two-handing a versatile weapon is equivalent to the +1 you'd get for TWF with a feat (and you'll burn the feat on bastard sword proficiency). Then, you can expand your "to-do" exploits to include Frenzied Skirmish, Two-Wolf Pounce, and Sudden Strike.

All of those powers enhance the "I cruise around the battlefield, attacking and moving at will" feel that skirmishing gave you, with the minor flavor difference of making multiple attacks since you're not limited by standard action = single attack anymore. Such a character would very much be to 4e, what a scout was to 3.x.